Yaz and pills

I was on YAZ for about 4 months. And like all medications, i gave it time. In the beginning i experienced a lot of nausea, fatigue, headaches, and severe diarrhea. And instead of clearing my skin, it made my skin absolutely terrible. i stuck it out in hopes that my body would change, and begin to get use to the hormone but it didn't. I have been having GI issues August, have been through a Colonoscopy, and everything came back normal. Ever since stopping this pill, my body has felt so much better overall, but the GI issues are still there which concerns me greatly. Has anyone else ever experienced this? My bowel movements have changed completely, and all of the specialist i have seen, say that the pill wouldn't do this. I do not believe it. I believe that the pill has messed up my GI tract so much, that i can't have a normal bowel movement. I honestly do not recommended this pill to anyone. I am 18, and to be experiencing what i am especially going to school, is so not fun. Could YAZ have been the cause of all of this?

i just wanted to let you know tha I am a RN. I have been on YAZ for 3 months only. In this time frame, I have had severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and back pain. I at first blamed it on the hormones but now attribute it to bad side effects from YAZ. I have already had my Gallbladder out when I was 18 yrs old (side effect of BC pills). Anyway, my doctor just sent me for an upper GI and small bowel follow through....but, I think that it is all related to YAZ. The MD thinks I am just being a "know it all" nurse, but I have research this med. I have lost 12# in 3 months (bonus), lol....but I am sick of being sick...my husband thinks I am a big complainer, but its real and it hurts. I would have been in the ER also, but being a nurse, I am a little more stubborn to go to the hospital. I did go one night because the pain was sooo bad but the wait was 3 hrs and I vomited 3 times while waiting, The pain was now tolerable so I left! I have 5 days left of YAZ, I was going to try to last out the rest of the pack, but after getting severe pain, again, tonight....after eating soup only all day and throwing it up...I am DONE WITH YAZ. I am stopping cold turkey...the body will regulate itself. I want to feel better. I hope once this stuff clears my body, I will feel better once again! Good luck!

I have been taking Yaz for over 1 year and I don't have a lot of side effects except the weight gain. I just want to get off Yaz but I am just not sure what the side effects would be. Anybody knows the side effects of getting off the pills?

I just started my second month of Yaz, and this last week or so I have been experiencing side effects, such as; mood swings, irritability, loss of patience, sudden crying fits, and headaches. I think it is too soon to notice any weight change, but I am just not happy with myself. I have read through the posts, and I am happy that all of you have posted, but I haven't seen anyone talk about other options. I am wondering if anyone else has been given any recommendations. I have been on Yasmin in the past (high school, I am now 24), but never experienced these side effects before. The pill does clear up my mild acne, but only until I hit the last four pills. Not a concern of mine, I would rather not be so moody and irritated all of the time. Can these side effects happen so soon? I thought that it took longer for birth control to be in your system. Any comments back would be great. As of today, I am off Yaz, and have scheduled an appointment with my gynecologist to discuss further options.

I am 22 and was on ortho tri cyclen off and on for 5 years. I really had no issues with that, and only started taking yaz because my doctor gave me some free sample packs. I was interested in shorter periods. Now after taking yaz I am desperate to start taking my old pills again. My symptoms include:
weight gain
extreme mood swings (to my husband, I'm sorry)
extreme depression
feelings of worthlessness
extremely strange cravings (I will eat maple syrup right from the bottle or eat half a pizza)
tiredness
headaches
absolutely no sex drive

The good news is that my face is very clear. But personally clear skin is not worth being so mean to everyone in my life. I really do not forsee myself continuing use of yaz.

I'm 30 I've been on Yaz for 1 month. While I'm a trooper and willing to give things a chance, I cannot let myself do that in this case. I went off Loestrin 24 bc of spotting, switched to Yaz. The first week was fine (my skin cleared up) then the side effects set in. Nausea upon awakening. No appetite. While some people would like the low appetite side effect, I find it unhealthy. In some instances, I have made myself eat. I love food, and not wanting to smell it, cook it, or ingest it is a problem. Then other problems set in. Chills for no reason, hot flashes, rapid heart rate upon standing, and daily dull headaches (did not have cold/flu/infection). Reduced sex drive, painful sex, and a yeast infection that doesn't seem to be going away. Continued the pill for the rest of the pack where symptoms waned. No psycho PMS symptoms, but was over emotional during my period. Symptoms came back and got worse week of period. Great trade off! I also had bad cramping during my period, still feel the fatigue, and mental fuzziness. I feel as if I am just floating around in space. I'd rather spot everyday and breakout on my face then feel like someone kicked the s*it out of me everyday. I am 2 pills into a new Yaz pack, but throwing it out and going back on Loestrin for the remainder of the month until I get a doctor's appointment.

I am 27 years old and have been on YAZ for about 1 year now. I never struggled with acne, long periods, cramps, etc and was simply trying a new form of BC. From my understanding YAZ was suppose to control mood swings but instead gave me horrible MOOD SWINGS. I would be good for a few days, then the next mad, and the next wanting to cry. I started thinking maybe I was depressed or maybe reacting to being stressed but this has gone on for far too long. I don't have the desire for sex as I did before I started taking YAZ and my boyfriend thinks I am crazy. It took me to see a commercial for a law firm in regards to yaz side effects to look up more information concerning the medication when I came across tons of responses from others that have experienced these same effects as I have if not worse. I done as of NOW. This has done nothing but made me a complete train wreck for the past year. I also read that the pill can cause upper respiratory infections/cough and I have had two bouts of Respiratory infections coming out of no where. No cold or allergies at all....Just hoarse and coughing. Please do your research on these pills

I am 30 yrs old, have been taking YAZ for a little less than one year. Loved it at first, my PMDD seemed a lot better, my skin cleared up. (I had adult acne) The decreased sex drive was immediate and after a couple of months I noticed the stomach pains, headaches, and extreme hunger in the mornings as well as shortness of breath and occasional dizziness. I even went to my regular doctor for an inhaler due to the shortness of breath. Since I started this pill to now I've gained a lot of "solid" weight that seems very hard to lose. I've gone from a size 4 to an 8. The only benefit has been that my skin is a lot clearer but as soon as I take the last pink pill in the pack my face breaks out again. This past month I've had horrible mood swings. My anxiety is worse than ever and I overreact to the smallest things. I can't stand myself and feel like a crazy person. While the thought of having acne again makes me very sad, I will no longer take YAZ.

I'm 37 and have been taking Yaz for 3 weeks now and all I want to do is sleep and eat. This is the first time I have changed my birth control in 5 years. My doctor put me on Yaz because my PMS is so bad and my boyfriend is over the monthly break up. I feel just like you do....I always worked out at lest 5 days a week and I haven't gained weight since high school. Now I have been eating cookies every night and I'm not working out at all. I was telling my boyfriend that I just don't feel right. I don't even want to finish the pack of Yaz pills I have.... but I'm scared if I start taking my old pills for the rest of the month it's going to mess me up. I'm so happy that I'm not the only girl that feels this way. My boyfriend wants me to give it a chance because my PMS is sooooo bad. All I know is that Weight gain is one of the side effect and I'm not going to put weight on for any reason. If he think I'm a bitch for one week out of the month he doesn't want to see me gaining weight and miserable...TOTAL BITCH !!!
Thanks for your feed back it helped.
J.

I had switched from Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo to Trinessa, and Trinessa was making my OCD and anxiety go through the roof. I was thinking that Yaz would be the best choice for me. I decided to talk to my doctor, and she gave me a month trial to see if I liked it or not. I messed up my pills a little bit, so I was late starting. I took my last placebo pill and finally started. It's been a lot of very light bleeding, and brownish discharge. This is my main annoyance with the pill. My periods are normally mildly heaving and last about five to six days. This period has been very light, almost non existent, and I am currently on day two. I have also experienced some mood swings, fatigue, and anxiety.
I will be switching back to Ortho this week.

im 14,and my acne is just depressing.my parents even point it out and it just quite awful.i did a lot of creams and they just made me break out more and after a couple weeks i would stop taking them. i have even been called a pizza face before and i don't want be judged just because i have crap on my face. i would talk to mom about just popping a pill to get this off my face. but she knew that if i was on birth control that i might be thinking about actually having sex. but trust me i don't. so i went o the doctor and my parents finally gave in and let me take yaz. i am just about 5 days away from the white pills and i pick at my pimple and pop them just something i cant control. my dad has noticed a change.but im not sure i have. and i have read post and about having no sex drive but i don't if it is just my hormones or what but i have a sex drive and i am only 14. i am always tired during the day but wide awake at night so my sleep schedule is just messed up. i have a urge for chocolate and nothing else. i only 103 and my weight hasn't changed. my nipples are sooo sore. i might not be to far a long to know if this is a good pill for acne or not. but i am going to keep using it bc i have faith in it. i haven't had one headache but i do see stars when i get up. not sure what it is. thanks for reading;] wish me luck!

I started taking YAZ for PMDD two months ago and it has helped so much. It has seemed to mess with my menstrual cycle, though. The first month I took it my period started on the second day of the white pills, I had light spotting a couple of days before that and now I am on my 2nd month and I am on my third day of white pills and no period and no spotting.. no sign of period so far. I seems to be messing up my cycle... ugh!

Any thoughts anyone?!

I have just started taking Yaz 3 days ago and so far have not noticed any of the side effects mentioned, although I know that it usually takes a few months before the pills take full effect. What I have noticed since I began taking it, however, is that I have had the worst dry mouth ever. No amount of water seems to help, especially at night. I have never heard of this being a side effect of any birth control, so I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

I'm 22 years old and have been on YAZ for 1.5 years. I was originally on Yasmin and was fine but my Gyno suggested that for my body type and slight anemia I was taking more estrogen than necessary, so I agreed to try YAZ. I was excited at first, hoping it would help with my mood swings (which were not as severe as experienced with those who have PMDD). Everything was fine (clear skin, light periods, etc) until I noticed that in the past few months I was getting severely emotional (which is the complete opposite from the kind of person I am). For a while I thought it was just a phase and something that would pass but it has gotten progressively worse, to a point where I have become overly sensitive, crying with out reason and was experiencing anxiety. All out of the ordinary and very scary. Since I am an active healthy individual with no other medical concerns or on any other meds I realized that I may have been suffering side effects from the YAZ. The mood swings were particularly worse on days leading to the placebo pills and into the first week. I have been off of it for the past three days and will talk to my Gyno on Monday to either go back to Yasmin or try something new. Of course it will take up to a month for the YAZ to be processed out of my body.

Honestly it was a scary experience and it was good to know that my sudden bouts of sadness and anxiety wasn't all in my head. While YAZ may not be for me I know people who have not experienced any side effects while on YAZ. So if you are considering it I would suggest giving it a try but keep track of any changes in mood or side effects.

I have also noticed that people who were actually suffering from PMDD have like their experience with YAZ and women without PMDD have seemed to experience it while on YAZ, of course this is simply an observation and nothing else.

I am a 25 year old female who at 24 had never had any experience with birth control other than a quick prescription to a generic hormone to take care of a long period at 16 (due to stress.) Only a few pills were taken and I was fine. Now, at 25 I have been on YAZ for a year. I began taking it because I became sexually active at 24. Why? Well, I was mature both mentally and physically. I have had friends who became sexually active at a young age and who started birth control young. The side effects were pretty dramatic. I had seen a slim friend gain a whole lot of water weight. She even said it was the patch and later monthly injection causing the problem but the side effect was well worth the pregnancy prevention. I was against the use of birth control due to my preconceived notion of horrible side effects. However, once the monogamous sexual activity began I knew that I needed to take something. I had heard about YAZ and knew that it was something new and different. A different hormone used for prevention. I researched the pill and looked into any side effects. The posts I found seemed a little too ridiculous. I decided to find actual accounts and spoke to a co-worker who had been using YAZ for awhile. In fact, the majority of females I know use the product with no problem. Thus, after my yearly checkup I requested YAZ. My gyno welcomed the suggestion and even gave me several packs for free. It’s been a year without a problem. However, this morning I was hounded by my mother because there is a warning and lawsuit against YAZ and YASMIN (seen by a commercial-lawsuit.) This is due to severe side effects and death associated with blood-clots (when presented with heart disease, diabetes, etc.) I am a healthy 25 year old that frequents the gym weekly. I do not smoke. I drink every now and then. NO SIDE EFFECTS. My period starts after the 3rd pill is taken. It is quick and simple. I enjoy being able to plan things around my period. Cramps are light compared to what I use to go through. I can take one Ibuprofen the day of the third non-active pill and not feel a thing. I use to have horrible leg cramps and now I have no problem. My pre-menstrual mood has improved and I think it is because my period is no longer a strong factor in my life. I use to dread it and now I welcome it. I do not have any skin issues, no bloating, and no weight gain. Heartburn occurrence which is slim to none is similar to what I would have had before YAZ. I was appalled to find this site and to discover that people are having problems. I do not understand why people are so quick to blame this pill on everything. It seems like a lot of users who are posting on this site are extremely young. The body is still growing and maturing at 18 and even into the early 20’s. In my late teens, I was extremely moody and stressed due to college, etc. Any hormonal regulation then would have probably put me overboard! I am going for my yearly check up next month and will discuss this lawsuit with my gyno. I am concerned about this lawsuit. More importantly, I am concerned that this pill will be taken off the market. Call me a statistic but I like YAZ and would recommend it.

on my third pack now...for the first week when i started i did feel very tired, sleepy...and lazy, also had some light headaches..but that all went away.
did not have any mood swings, actually i am less cranky and in better mood.
before starting on BC... i had severe pains, long periods ( 6 days) and really bad bloating (would go up a dress size)...
so far Yaz has been good, no pains, light periods. period usually starts on the 4th placebo pill. the only problem as soon as i start taking placebo pills i get red bumps that sort of look like pimples on my face... and they last me until i am done my period.

i was on the depo shot, and LOVED it! for the first few months i spotted All throughout the month which got really annoying, but after a few months my periods stopped completely!! it was AMAZING!!!! i didn't gain any weight on the shot, but i was Always hungry and Never felt full. after going off of the shot i still didn't have a period at all for like 3 or 4 months! :D .... but then.... i started bleeding ALL the time. off one week, on for a whole week, off one week, on for a whole week...etc. this happened for 2 to 3 months. finally i went a gyn and she recommended that i go on yaz to regulate my period. ... it worked for a little while, but for the passed 3 or 4 months i bleed at least twice a month! both for about a week at a time. this sucks!! and sadly any hormone makes me a little moody :/ i was at a really steady weight of 111 and sky rocketed to 120 when i went on the pill. i go to the gym at least 2 to 3 times a week (as i did before i started the pill)... and im down to 115. but it seems to want to stay at 115 :/ so still a little weight gain involved. sometimes my sex drive is super amazing to where i almost climax at the snap of a finger. but lately... a lot lately, its almost impossible to climax! :( which is super disappointing and frustrating!. (any advice for the climaxing part? :( lol seriously. ) ... i don't want to go off of birth control, because sadly i Hate rubbers! my mom wanted me to try microgestin cause i bleed a lot on yaz, but those pills don't look or sound appealing to me. any suggestions?? lol... overall i would recommend either yaz or the depo shot. both have ups and downs. :)

I originally started YAZ about two years ago primarily to help with irregular or extended periods. I went off for about 8 months and had very light if any periods until about two months ago when my symptoms started back up. I went on YAZ for a month and my first week on the white or placebo pills the bleeding was extremely heavy. I'm sorry if this is graphic but I went to sleep for 5 hours with a tampon in and woke up soaked in blood. I freaked out and went to the ER and was told this is a normal side effect of this pill. Just prior to this I experienced:

terrible migraine headaches
brain fog
loss of focus
inability to think and communicate clearly
increased sensitivity to sound
terrible anxiety around people
mood swings- I didn't realize this until reading everyone else's posts

From my hospital visit I also learned my blood pressure was extremely high which could be a result of this pill.

I am so thankful to everyone on here that were so brave and kind to share their stories. I hope my post will be just as helpful.

thanks,

S

Back in February, I experienced a similar bleeding. It started mid pack as well. I had gotten my period the last week of January (all normal). About a week or a week and a half later, I started bleeding again!!! I got worried, so I went to see my doctor and she said, "oh don't worry, it's normal, it's probably just your pills... keep taking them for a few months just to confirm it's the pills and if the same symptoms occur, then we'll switch you to a different brand..." Can you believe that??? If they're all ready causing me ANYTHING... take me off of them... don't wait til... "oh just keep taking them and if they kill you... then we'll know it was the pill..." Ridiculous! I already changed my doctor! Anyway, I bleeding for 2 weeks. Then I continued the pill. The next month, my period was what I can say "normal", but the following month, I didn't get my period at all practically. I just noticed some spotting, so I got a tampon in just in case.. for my whole 'period week', i just kept spotting on my tampons. As if it wasn't a real period. I don't know what's going on. And honestly... I don't believe these doctors anymore with their "the symptoms will only last 3 months... or it's nothing serious... it's normal..." bull crap!!!

i have been on yaz for 8 days and for 8days i have had my period i had cramps so bad i couldn't get out the bed for 2 days constant headaches leg cramps tired but can't sleep dizzy sick stomach very moody i would not recommend this pill to anyone at all it would be a big mistake to take this pill

I think most of this is all in your heads. It does state clearly in the booklet though that you will have less of a sex drive. But being depressed and all is all own thing. Maybe if you start thinking that its making you happy you will feel happy....

I urge anyone who is still taking Yaz at this time to IMMEDIATELY stop. Regardless of where you are in your cycle, just stop it and fight out the after effects of coming off it. Your body and mind will thank you ever so much in the years to come. I have been off Yaz for only 10 days, and am still feeling a bit up and down, as I assume it will take a few months for my body to regulate and get back to normal. It's such a frustrating thing, waiting to get back to normal, hoping, wishing, that everyday will get better and you'll be that much closer to being fully free from Yaz and the unbearable side effects. As women, we must take action against drugs like this, I wish that there was a way to get the word out more and more about this drug and other bc pills. Today I actually saw a commercial that was about 'saying no' to the pill, and freeing yourself from the 'pill'. The first commercial I have ever seen in promoting alternatives to the birth control pill, and emphasizing taking control of one's life by NOT taking the pill. There needs to be more and more ads and constant awareness out there about the effects of drugs like Yaz. Thank goodness for this site, even though reading these horrible experiences that you've all gone through on Yaz, it gives me hope and comfort to know that I am not alone, and that I and we, can get through this and return to the fabulous women we know we are!

This is amazing to me to hear all of these side effects from the yaz. I have been experiences all of them but really didn't make the connection. I have been experiencing knee joint pain since I have been on these pills but really didn't make the connection. I only started researching this since I received an email from someone about yaz and the warnings about it. This message went into my spam out of the blue, and I opened it to read it. That was about a month or so ago, and I am scheduled to see my doctor in a month or so and I don't want to abruptly discontinue without having a plan. I am 46 years old and was an anemic due to heavy periods, so this was the solution to get my blood count up to what it should be. This was a real issue because I had to have emergency surgery but had to have 2 units of blood before the surgery. So after that, it was suggested that I take bc to control my periods. I really didn't want to do this but I had to for the mean time and I have been on them for about 8 months. My blood count is back to normal now but I have to figure out what else I am going to do because I cannot continue on these pills now that I see what it is doing. I will be going into menopause soon also, but that's probably not until 5 more years and I am not going to take these all that time. I have some decisions to make.

YAZ BELLY!! anyone else got it? I have been on this pill for 9 months now & about to switch back to ortho novum product. Within the first mth of Yaz I developed a very round (almost menopausal or pregnant shape) lower belly. It has increased over the past 8 months to a ridiculous size that no pants fit but go figure....no weight gain for 7 months. How does ones shape change that much with no weight gain?? I actually am diligent on diet & workout 3 - 6 days a week. Have looked the same for 2 years til Yaz. Now I have to size up due to the belly & rollover. Also past 3 months I started to experience ovary pain that has become significantly worse. Ob/gyn brushed off my issues at first & passed me on to GI. I have had every stomach test & all good! Remarkable they say! So back to GI to switch this week. The only plus of this pill has been a much improved complexion & actually unlike the rest of you...increased sex drive. All I want to know is I am the only one with Yaz shape belly??

Yaz was not what I'd hoped for...Instead, of relieving pre-menstrual symptoms, it only extended and exaggerated them. I had feelings of extreme apathy, exhaustion (i could sleep at any time), severe mood swings, headaches, weight gain, bloating, increased appetite, blood pressure increase from 90/60 to 120/75, cramping(both intestinal and uterine w/spotting), and dyspenea. I felt like my whole life and body were sliding down a hill. .. BAD feeling ....depression! This was only after taking it10 days. Immediately, I knew it was the Yaz. The first pill I took for almost 2 years 20 years ago...I was miserable. Since then, I've tried different pills all with the same results. Ironically, I had to take pergonal to ovulate and get pregnant. (My quadruplets are 12yrs.old and wonderful!) After a year of convincing, my long-time Dr., a female close to my age, thought Yaz would be great for me. I was supposed to take it for 3 mts. The symptoms were like a train. I'd be insane, dead or both in three months. I stopped and it was like stopping a train...severe headache, and more of the same symptoms, but each day is better. I can and you can read your body and listen to it. Do not let self -doubt slide in...Medical professionals want to help you and they should listen; if they don't, they are missing half of the picture, your picture. This time, quite honestly and even b/f I read this board, it made me wonder how many lives are affected
by such...I mean depression, clots, blood pressure, headaches, weight issues and many others...even the divorce rate. We have to have birth control. For me I'll just stick to a little bit of acne, and predictable PMSuntil I go into menopause. I know that others need something very different, and I encourage you to keep searching and communicating.

I am a sophomore college student who just withdrew from college because of the side effects of depression and anxiety. Yaz is a horrible medication to be on and I would not recommend it to anyone. I am still experiencing the side effects and it is the worst feeling in the world. I used to be a strong, independent person who knew what I wanted out of life and loved it. After taking yaz for about 8 months I feel like I am going crazy, I am so confused, lonely, and scared to be alone because I don’t know how bad my depression might get. There has not been a night in a long time that I have not cried, sometimes even for no reason. Like I said I have taken a semester off from college in hopes to transfer closer to home because the side effects are that serious. If you're not on yaz don't take it, if you are watch for these symptoms because this is a dangerous product.

somebody help! the first year on yaz was great but then started the HORRIBLE panic attacks. they never ended. i was in bed for 3 months straight literally only went to the bathroom and lost like 25 pounds. im 5 10 and weigh 107. i had severe depression, my hair was falling out, diagnosed with panic disorder, and POTS. my blood pressure would drop to 50/20 every time i stood up. all this NEVER happened before. my eyes are so dry i cant wear contacts. i have derealization/depersonalization. it soo scary. im only 20 and feel like a 60 year old. i am always tired. i can sleep at any given time. i have trouble staying awake on the road. i have been on 4 anti depressants and klonopin. i never had anxiety in my life before. i think i am going crazy everyday. i don't know what to do anymore. i finally stopped taking yaz 3 weeks ago and slightly better but still not even close to what i was a couple years ago. how could they put this pill on the market? this is absolutely horrible.

I was on Yaz for three months and decided to stop because of the terrible nightsweats which i had never experienced before in my life. It started the first month but i thought id at least give it a chance thinking maybe it would stop, but after the third month i decided i should go off it. also i had no sex drive but i was like that with my other pills that i had been taking for about 4 years. It took me 3 months to get my period once i went off of it, and while the cramps are worse, I don't have to worry about any horrible side effects.

I have been on other birth controls, and more recently have been off for 8 months. Not trying to get pregnant, just sick of the side effects of my other pills (generics). Doc gave me yaz, I didn't take it until now, 5 months after prescribed. I have been taking it for 7 days, and I feel like crap. I thought my back pain was from sleeping wrong and sitting at a computer, but you guys have it too. I didn't have a BM for the first 5 days, and when I did it was painful and smelled like someone died (completely unlike me). I feel like I don't want to do anything fun. I have gone to bed by 9 every night and have no interest in doing anything else. Even thinking about my Sunday plans, which are normally fun and exciting, all I want to do is lay in bed.

This pill is whack, and I'm going off it immediately. I would rather get pregnant or be stuck using icky condoms again than deal with this crap. Thank you everyone else for sharing. I hope someone else eyes get opened like mine just were.

I was diagnosed with PMDD and was prescribed YAZ to help. Immediately after starting the pill, my PMDD symptoms worsened to the point where I was sobbing, angry, withdrawn, confused, up/down and worst of all, suicidal. Never in my worst of moods have I thought about suicide and with this pill, I became completely out of control. I stopped using it and it was like someone switched off a light switch - I didn't feel out of control! I gave it a second try after a full cycle and the same exact things happened again. My husband had to hide the gun and threw the pills in the trash. I've never felt so scared and unstable in my life.....

i started taking yaz in June because ive tried almost every other birth control pill, and patch and my mood and depression seemed to be only when i was on one of these. I wanted to go on that mirana IUD however my doctor told me i shouldn't because i have not had kids, im not married and im only 19 however it seemed anything i tried gave me the same side effects. So they put me on YAZ instead, at first it was great shorter periods, little to no cramps, but now 5 months and i hate it. I live with my boyfriend now and when before my sex drive was high I have ABSOLUTELY NO SEX DRIVE LEFT AND IM ONLY 19, WHAT HAPPENED TO IT. And whats worse my moodiness has come back for example at the store today i lost it and started crying when they didn't have the coat i wanted to buy. I couldn't control myself i completely lost it. i don't know what to do with myself anymore. My emotions are worse then ever before i want them to put me on something that has no hormones my body cant take it. can anyone give me any suggestions.

My daughter started taking YAZ birth control August 2007 and was starting her second year of college. Everything in her life was going well, she loved her choice of college, had a wonderful boyfriend, was excited to live in her sororiety house, had wonderful friends, and was always one of the most focused individuals I knew. She was home for the Thanksgiving holiday and the night before I was to drive her back to school, she broke down at the kitchen table and said she can't pretend anymore, that she is not happy and doesn't know what is wrong with her. I took her to the doctor and she was treated with Effexor for depression. After 4 weeks there was no change, she fell into a deeper depression and they doubled her dose of Effexor. Still no change. I started looking on the internet and found that one of the side effects of Yaz was depression. I told her to immediately stop taking it. Two days after she stopped the pill we had an appointment with a psychiatrist. I told him that this was the first day I saw some improvement and that I thought it was related to her stopping YAZ. He disregarded my statement and didn't feel that was the case. He didn't like Effexor because he said that it was "a bear to get off of". He titrated her dose down by half and introduced Wellbutrin into her system. Two days later she overdosed on pills. She couldn't bear how bad she felt. I remember it like it was yesterday, she stood in the corner of the hosital and cried, "How did I get to this point, how did this happen to me?" I knew then that it was the pills. After her release from the hosital they handed her a prescription for Lexipro. I was advised by ALL of the PROFESSIONALS that she needed to take this antidepressent because she will definitely have a relapse.

My daughter chose NOT to take any more medications. We both KNOW that it was the YAZ that started the depression and the other antidepressents just put her over the edge. It took several months to get her life back together. We pursued counselling to make sure she was equipped with good coping skills for stress before attempting to go back to school. She missed 5 weeks of school and we knew that she had alot of catching up to do and the counselling helped her get through.

It has now been almost 1 year since that incident and she is back to her old self again. NO MORE BIRTH CONTROL AND NO MORE ANTIDEPRESSANTS. I'm not against any of these medications, however, I don't feel that health care professionals equip these young girls with enough information about side effects. Depression is listed way down on the list of side effects. If her gyn would have warned her that depression was a side effect, we may have never gone down that dark frightening road and if the psychiatrist would have taken into consideration that it could have been the birth control pill things could have been different. I also work for 4 pediatricians and none of them were aware that birth control can cause depression. I am now noticing that there are mother's calling our office because their daughters are depressed and as I am looking at their charts, I see they are on birth control. I have to wonder how widespread is this epidemic and how many young woman may have been diagnosed with clinical depression when the cause could be birth control. I know that at my daughters last well visit she was asked if she was taking any medication and she said no, she didn't realize that the pill was medication. Professionals need to be more specific when asking teenagers and yound adults questions.

I hope that this helps someone else out there to understand what could be causing their depression.

Just food for thought, with any hormone that you take into your body you will have side effects and it will change your body. Not just Yaz, but all birth control. There are blood clot and stroke risks with all of it if you look up other brands. Best bet to not suffer is to not take any

Agree with the earlier post -- read the drug insert that comes with your Rx! Majority of these side effects are well-known. Blood clots are a very well-known potential side effect of hormonal birth control -- non common but certainly devastating if it happens. Chances are good that these individuals have a genetic tendency toward abnormal clotting. The only good news for these gals is that they've had a warning (it's likely to happen again).
Re sexual dysfunction, it is a VERY common side effect of all hormonal BC. But especially with Yasmin and Yaz -- the form of progestin in these BC pills has anti-testosterone action which is great for acne but lousy for your sex life. Unfortunately, you might not be able to have clear skin AND libido.
For those with serious mood disorders on the pill, consider non hormonal forms of BC -- copper IUD inserted by an experienced clinician is worth considering.
And gals in your 40s, guess what? PMS often gets worse with age and then slides right into perimenopausal symptoms (did u know 10% of women never stop having hot flashes?!). Normalizing with BC pills is an option, but the sexual side effects are even worse for us older gals.

i want my body back!! i've been on b/c for the past 4 years. 3 Yasmin 1 yaz. i feel so stupid that i did not notice what it was doing to me . my side effects were no where as bad as everyone else's, but one thing is for sure, i have NO SEX DRIVE AT ALL!! I feel so bad for my husband. For the past three years i have been totally against having sex and always have to force myself. this is not normal for a 26 year old old who has a wonderful, good looking husband who i love with all my heart. my chest gets sore a lot as well. i just want to get off of these pills already so i can be myself with out chemicals interfering in my life. we're going to try condoms for a while until my husband can go in for a vasectomy. i wish there were more birth control options out there that won't screw u up.

I am so glad I found this site!! I have only been taking Yaz for about 1 week but I can already feel the changes. I find myself becoming withdrawn and my sex drive went from 60 to 0 in 2.2 seconds!!! No wonder why, there is a testosterone blocker in this thing! No one has a sex drive without that!!
To make matters worse, I am breaking out with a rash on my face and forearms. My hair has also gotten dry!! Did I mention it's been one week?! I have been so thirsty and could not figure out why until I read that there is a diuretic in the pills. I'm getting these dark circles under my eyes, who know why that's happening but I'm not sticking around to find out. I am getting off now!!!

(EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS) I started taking YAZ two and half months ago and everything started out O.K. Then after missing one pill, I started having the worst cramps I've ever had in my entire life. I kept taking my pills on time in hopes of stopping the period and cramps but instead while I was bathing a Huge Fleshy Mass came out of me followed by several blood clots. My husband immediately put the mass in a sealed bag and put it in the refrigerator. I took it it in to see a specialist which claimed it probably was some weird side effect to YAZ causing my Uterine Wall to shed. He also admitted the pill hasn't been out long enough to study all the potential side effects. He suggested I finish out my supply and switch to another type of birth control pill. Yesterday I just started my period again, prematurely, and my cramps are again unbearable...I'm dead tired and moody and hope I'm not passing another mass...and I've made it up in my mind to throw away this year supply of YAZ and suggest anyone taking it with harsh side effects to do the same. REMEMBER LADIES THE RECALL ON THE PATCH THAT MADE SO MANY WOMEN VERY SICK??? DON'T BE A GUINEA PIG AND END UP NOT BEING ABLE TO GET PREGNANT. I wish you all the best in finding the right form of birth control...Take Care!!!

Im 18, been on YAZ going on three months now. I was actually looking forward to a little weight gain, but haven't seen any. I got on the pill one for BC, which as far as my periods go is fine. But I also wanted to reduce the mood swings and lately it seems they haven't gotten much better. All of a sudden ill be in a great mood like I want to be, then the next ill be in a crabby mood for no reason. I also got in a car accident a few weeks ago (my fault) and have noticed that since I started the pills I haven't been as alert while driving. I always get side tracked and find myself slamming on the breaks and cutting people off, which was not the case before the pills. Does this have any relation to taking Yaz?

I have just recently began taking Yaz and am starting to experience side effects. I am in my third week, and am having a lot of anxiety, heart palpitations, mild headaches and shortness of breath. Sometimes I feel dizzy and I take them at night so that I do not experience the nausea that I know comes along with bc pills. I am on them because of my hormones being out of whack but I think I would almost rather deal with that than all of these symptoms. I think it's time to contact my OB/GYN and get off of these things...

I was prescribed Brazvia (sp) and wasn't too satisfied with it, and was then prescribed Yaz.I'm 20 years old and I'm only on my second week and I can feel the effects. I have ZERO energy. I am always tired and moody and my sex-drive is non-existent. I feel myself craving food more often than I should. My hormones are through the roof. I cry over everything and anything, and I have no temper. I have basically turned into a crazy person since beginning the pills. I will continue for another month just to finish the two packs I have, and if nothing changed I'm returning to Brazvia which is bliss compared to Yaz.n

My 14 year-old Daughter was prescribed YAZ for her acne. After the first 48 hours daughter began to have severe leg spasms, mood swings, anxiety attacks, numbness in hands and feet, heart palpitations, and migraines so severe that she had to miss school for 1 entire week. At first I didn''t put it all together but by day 5 I took her off the pills and waited....the symptoms went away but did leave her with a 3-week period.

This is a bad, BAD medication. When I was a teen girl I was on traditional b/c pills and I never, ever had any kind of reaction like this.

I contacted the FDA and filled out a complaint report.

I've been on Yaz for 6 weeks. The first month was fine. Just a little nausea. I started my period after the first month's inactive pills. I'm now two weeks into the second month and I'm still on my period. It's very light but I've had cramps now for two weeks as well. I've also noticed that I'm more depressed than I think I've ever been and I've had a hard life. I cry all the time now and don't have the energy to get out of bed. I've wondered if I'm going crazy or was just stressed out, but now I'm re-thinking this pill. I've got other friends on it who have no problems, but I don't think I can handle it anymore.

I posted for my 14 year old daughter a couple of weeks ago. I am happy to say that we stayed off of the YAZ after going to the hospital 2 times, sonograms, cat scans.... worried about spleen rupture ~ pains in the side, back, shoulder, throwing up THE WHOLE SHABANG! pretty much every side effect there is listed for this horrible drug she had. Well...turns out she had mono/epstein barr a couple of months ago so it kicked it up again after it was getting better. DOCTORS PA's....push push push meds. We need to be more informed about what we take into our bodies. MEN WOMEN CHILDREN just because they prescribe it doesn't mean we should take it. we are the guinnea pigs here. Yes there will probably be a law suit and it will like the patch be taken off of the market. But where will we be??
So my thought on this drug is that doctors need to be taking blood tests of a variety of things before saying ~ yes it is ok for you to take this. Because there are some (I say SOME) people who aren't as sick as others... some people drink booze so their liver will be elevated some people have dormet problems that will cause this pill to reek havoc on your system... everyone needs to get a grip on taking meds.... it is whats causing havoc on our bodies. we take all these pills. its crazy.

I have been taking YAZ for 2 months and just picked my new pack up to start tomorrow but they are going in the trash! I started doing research tonight on YAZ for the first time searching for answers of what could be wrong with me! I have had an MRI checking for MS, blood work checking for Lyme Disease, along with many other tests to try to determine why I am experiencing NUMBNESS is my hands, arms, legs, feet and face, and mostly on the left side. After all the tests have come back negative, I have been left with confusion and sadness wondering what could be wrong. Then I looked at YAZ side effects tonight, and what a realization! I am so sorry for all the women like me that have been going through this. This drug is terrible and should not be on the market. I was just married on July 12th and the happiest time of my life has been covered with the dark cloud called YAZ. No wonder I have felt so sad and so crazy. I started taking YAZ because I wanted to be better for my husband and not make him have to put up with my PMDD. However, I have become someone other than myself, someone who is angry and sad for no reason. Thank goodness I have realized what has been wrong. Now I can get to the marriage I have waited for all my life! Please, if you are taking YAZ, stop, and if you are thinking of starting it, DON"T!

Oh hey I also get headaches before my period and when I have my period I know that it isn't from yaz, because I have had that already when I get my periods, and for the back pain and stuff I was in a car accident and that is from that, and I did have mood swings to they got better but I do get them once in awhile when I got my period, I don't want to kill myself or anything I have also PMDD and this helps that I think. So the thing I can't stand is the yeast infections do they get better once you have been on the pills? I have had yeast infections at the beginning of taking new pills to.

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Changes since my 7/31 post: Headaches are gone, but still have lower back pain, breast tenderness, stomach pain, eat only because I know I have to and now I think my hair is falling out more than before. I went into a fit of rage last night for NO REASON, woke up mad at the world today and then busted out crying when I was blow drying my hair. I swear you felt like you are going nuts. I was thinking what in the world just happened! I get soooo angry and that is one of the reasons my Gyno put me on Yaz in the first place was to regulate my mood and anger issues getting closer to my period. I have 4 pills until I am supposed to start my period so I am going to see if these anger and crying issues hang around or was just a fluke. I sure hope so, I don't know if a lighter period is worth the roller coaster ride on emotions!

BEEN ON YAZ FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS....FEEL NAUSEATED AT TIMES.. HAVE VERY BAD BODY ACHES..LEGS ARE ALWAYS HURTING AND SOMETIMES ARMS, BAD MIGRAINES....LOSS OF APPETITE..I FORCE MYSELF TO EAT..I HAVE GAINED 5 POUNDS..MY FACE IS BREAKING OUT...THE FIRST 2 MONTHS I HAD IRREGULAR PERIODS..THAT NEXT 3 MONTHS HAVE BEEN SHORT AND LIGHT FOR 4 DAYS ON THE INACTIVE PILLS...THIS MONTH I STARTED SPOTTING 5 DAYS PRIOR TO WHITE PILLS..NOW WHEN I STARTED THE WHITE PILL ON THE 2ND ONE I STARTED BLEEDING...I NEVER MISS A DAY AND TAKE IT AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY.

I am so glad that this site is here. I too was given Yaz not as birth control but as an alternative to mood swings, No periods for months, and heavy bad periods.. I am 31 and the mother of 4. I had my tubes tied at 24 after my last child. I had taken other types of birth control at younger ages and had no problems. Well this was the start of my 4th month. I too didn't get my period till the week after the white pills. It was shorter and lighter at first, but since its terrible. I bleed longer and harder than before I started taking Yaz. I too cry for no reason and get very mad very easily. My sex drive too went from anytime any where to none. My husband has begged me for weeks to stop taking this pill. With the heavy bleeding he was concerned for my health. I stopped taking the Yaz pill one week ago today, and I am still having very heavy bleeding. This is the second week of it. I just want it all to stop. I too was feeling very tired and would catch myself falling asleep in the middle of the day. But at night when I would go to bed I would lie there awake. I was lucky if I could sleep for 5 hours at a time. My only concern now is when will this bleeding stop, and when is it something that I should contact a doctor about. I will never go on this pill again and I will tell anyone who wants to not to. I don't like going for three and four months with out my period, but I am not sure after this experience if I will try another for of the pill or not.

Add me to the list of people who will never take this crap again. 38 years old, never been on birth control. My obgyn sang this pills praises about how it will help with my mood swings and severr cramps due to severe pms. The headaches were awful, by boobs doubled in size, I gained 4lbs in 1 week, moodiness, feelings of being out of control, depression worsened, felt crazy, angry, short tempered. Memory loss, my speech was affected. I'm normally a very decisive, direct communicator and I couldn't find words to complete a sentence. My short term memory was shot. I think I will stick with a few beers to get through my pms. This stuff was not worth it.

I've been taking Yaz for only a week, but life is more miserable than ever! I have PMDD and get totally insane two weeks before my period! I'm moody, suicidal, angry at all humanity, but I experience little pain or cramps once my bleeding starts. I bleed for 8 days, and I was hoping that Yaz would help with shorter bleeding and less mood disturbances. So far on this drug I have been crying for no reason, yelling at the computer when the internet is slow, wanting to kill myself, trouble focusing on a book or paying attention to a tv show, and shuddering when I talk! I had tummy issues throughout my teen years, but once I hit my late 20's they went away. Now that I take Yaz, I feel like I'm gonna throw up every day and my tummy hurt so much the second day that I couldn't sleep that night! I'm very anxious, and it's hard for me to express my thoughts or complete a sentence! I hate this drug! My sister has PMDD and is curious about taking this drug, but I would never recommend it to her or anyone!! I'm so frustrated! Are we women just supposed to suffer until menopause ends???!!!